Holding device for chips or counters used in games and the like



R. S. BLAIR Aug. 11,1931.

HOLDING DEVICE FOR CHIPS OR (SOUNTERS USED IN GAMES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2, 1923 Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNK E ROBERT S. BLAIR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT HOLDING DEVICE FOR CHIPS OR COUNTERS USED IN GAMES AND THE LIKE Application filed January 2, 1923.

This invention relates to construction for holders for chips or discs or other similar counters, such as employed in games. One of the objects thereof is to provide adevice of the above nature adapted to hold such counters in a compact and orderly manner.

Another object is to provide such a device adapted to hold the counters in readiness for convenient use as desired. Another object is to provide such a device which is thoroughly dependable and efficient in action.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which is simply and inexpensively made. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be' indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of'the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is an end elevation;

Figure 2 is a side elevation viewed from the right of Fig. 1; u

Figure 3 is a top plan vlew;

Figure 4: is a detached sectional elevation of one of the parts shown in the preceding figures, the section being taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a partial side elevation viewed from the left of Fig. 1, certain parts being cut away; and

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of parts shown in Fig. 5 showing the parts in operation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown a supporting member or frame 10 which may be formed of wood, as shown, and mounted upon a suitable base or pedestal 11 so that the bottom of the member 10 is spaced from the surface upon which the device rests. One side face of the member 10, that is, as shown in the drawings the left-hand Serial No. 610,190.

face 12 of the member as viewed in Fig. 1, is preferably formed to slope as shown. In this sloping face 12 are formed a series of recesses or grooves 13 extending from the upper surface of the member 10 to the lower surface 5 thereof. The grooves 13 are preferably shaped substantially circular in cross section to conform to the shape of the chips or counters 14 to be received therein and are of sufficient diameter to allow the chips 14 to as- 0 sume a substantially horizontal position therein as shown in Fig. 1 and to slip freely therethrough in such position. The chips 1% thus resting in the grooves 13 project outwardly from the face 12 but are prevented from outward movement by the side walls of the grooves.

The rows of chips 14 in the grooves 13 rest upon members 15 which are secured to the member 10 about the lower ends of the grooves 13 and extend toward the centers thereof thus normally preventing the chips from sliding axially out through the lower ends of the grooves. The face 12 is preferably further out awayat each side of the lower ends of the grooves 13, as shown at 16, so that the openings at these points are of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the chips and thus a number of the bottom chips projecting through the openings 16 may be drawn directly outward when desired. The members 15 are preferably of a resilient, springy material and are secured to the bot tom of the supporting member 10 as by means of screw 17. If it is desired to draw out more chips at one time than are included between the members 15 and the upper end of the space 16, this may be accomplished by springing the resilient members 15 downwardly as the chips are removed. This action may be'better realized by reference to Fig. 6 wherein a number of chips are shown in the process of removal. The thumb of the hand, for example, may be inserted in the row of chips just above the upper chip desired to be removed and the group of chips thus grasped between the thumb and finger. Thus the thumb will occupy the space indicated at 18 in Fig. 6, and by bearing down therewith against the chips the members 15 are depressed until the upper 10.

chip grasped projects through the space 16. The thumb will support the pile of chips above thus preventing the front portions thereof from slipping downward and their rear portions will likewise be supported by the rear portions of the chips being removed when they are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 6. The group of chips grasped may thereupon be drawn out and the chips above will move downwardly, the members 15 springing back into place to support them. The grooves 13 are preferably graduated from the bottom upwardly, as shown at 19 in Fig. 5, to number the chips therein. Thus the chips are numbered ready for removal of the number desired and it may be seen at a glance how many chips remain in the grooves.

Poker chips, for example, are ordinarily provided in a number of colors, the colors determining the valuation thereof. The white chips are commonly given the lowest valuation and they may, if desired, be held in the grooves 13 as above described in readiness for convenient removal. The chips of other colors or higher valuation may be held in other portions of the supporting member 10, which will now be described.

Formed in the upper surface of the member 10 are a plurality of openings or recesses in which are supported members 20, preferably similar to drawers slidable in said re cesses and removable from the side of the member 10. Each of the members 20 is adapted to hold a predetermined number of chips 22, preferably the chips of higher valuation before mentioned. Formed in the surface ol each of the members 2G'is a recess formed by a plurality of parallel grooves 21. The bottom walls of adjoinin grooves 7 21 are shaped to slopein opposite directions,

as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and the deeper end of each groove is shaped to conform to the shape of the chips 22. Thus it will be seen that when a group of chips is placed edgewise in the recess of the member 20 a definite number of chips will roll in each direction and the chips 22 will assume positions as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, for example, if there are five grooves 21 and each is of a width to accommodate five chips and a group of twenty-five chips is placed within the member 20, the chips will be automatically divided into five groups of five each. In such position the chips 22 are held in readiness for convenient removal in groups of live or as desired. If so desired, the holding members 20 may be removed from the member 10 with their loads of chips and conveniently moved about.

From the above it will be seen that there is herein provided a device which embodies the f atures of this invention, which device in its action attains the various objects of the in vention, and that the same is well adapted to meet the requirements of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of this invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a supporting base having a plurality of upwardly extending recesses at its side, means adapted to hold in each of said recesses against outward edgewise movement a stack of chips, said recesses being shaped to hold the chips of each stack in positions inclined with respect to the axis of the stack thereby to expose the outer portions of their surfaces, and yielding means adapted to permit the simultaneous removal of a plurality of chips from each of said stacks.

2. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a supporting base having a plurality of upwardly extending recesses at its side, means adapted to hold in each of said recesses against outward edgewise movement a stack of chips, said recesses being formed to support the chips of each stack in positions inclined with respect to the axis of the stack thereby to expose the outer portion of their surfaces, and means adapted to permit the simultaneous removal of a plurality of chips from the bottom of each of said stacks and yieldingly resist such removal.

3. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a supportin'g'ba'se having a plurality of upwardly "extending recesses at its side, means adapted to hold in each of said recesses against outward edgewise movements. stackof'chips, said recesses being outwardly inclined at the bottom and shaped to hold the chips of the corresponding stacks in positions inclined with respect to their axes, means adapted to permit and yieldingly resist the simultaneous removal of a plurality of chips in a direction endwise of each of said piles from the bottom thereof, and a scale associated with each of said recesses and reading upwardly from the bottom and adapted thereby to indicate the number of chips to be seized for removal.

4:. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, means comprising a base having on its side a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive a stack of chips, said means being adapted to support said stacks and each of the same to move endwise toward one end of the corresponding recess, means adapted to hold the chips of each stack against outward edgewise movement, yielding means at the end of each stack toward which the chips therein tend to move adapted to permit simultaneous removal of a plurality of chips from the stack from the said end of the corresponding recess, and means adjacent said ends of said recesses indicating the number of chips to be seized and withdrawn.

5. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, means adapted to support a stack of chips and cause them to tend to move toward one end of the stack, means engaging said stack adapted to hold chips against edgewise outward movement therefrom, and a yielding device adjacent said end adapted to permit the seizure and simultaneous withdrawal of a plurality of chips at said end of the stack.

6. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, means adapted to support a stack of chips in a position with the chips inclined to the axis of the stack, said supporting means being adapted to cause said chips to tend to move toward one end of the stack, a yielding device adjacent said end adapted to permit seizure and simultaneous withdrawal of a plurality of chips adjacent said end, and means adjacent said end adapted to facilitate the determination of the number of chips withdrawn.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 28th day of December, 1922.

ROBERT S. BLAIR. 

